Throat-strap connecter



Aug. 16 1927. 1,639,066

J. M. WALSH THROAT STRAP CONNECTER Filed Feb. 7. 1925 I NV EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 16, 1927 UNITED STATES 1,639,066 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. WALSH, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T JAMES M. WALSH 00.,

OF DIILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

THROAT-STRAP CONNECTEB.

Application filed February 7, 1925. Serial No. 7,591.

This invention relates to a throat strap connecter for harness forhorses, and more particularly to the bridle portion of said harness.

It is the present practice in harness construction to provide a throatstrap which is connected to the cheek straps at their junction with thehead strap, and as said throat strap is necessarily of an adjustable con1 struction, one or more buckles are provided to permit adjustment ofthe said throat strap. The ordinary buckles are formed with tongues, andthese tongues extend through holes formed in the'strap, and to permitadjustability, it is necessary to form a number of holes in spacedrelation in the throat strap. These holes necessarily weaken the strapto a considerable extent, and the adjustment requires comparativelyconsiderable time to buckle and unbuckle the straps in forming theconnections and adjustments. Furthermore, in removing the ordinarybridle from the horse or replacing the same, as it is necessary tounbuckle or buckle the thoat strap at one side in order to remove orreplace this portion of the harness which causes considerable wear tothe straps and requires considerable time as it is comparativelyvdiliicult. to buckle and unbuckle the straps.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome theseobjectionable features and provide a throat strap connecter whichpermits easy and adjustability of the length of the throat strap andeliminates wear on said throat strap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a with a minimum effort,be easily attached and detached on one side in removing or placing abridle, upon a horse.

A further object of the invention is to provide a throat strap connecterin which the use of holes in the strap and the friction and wear on theparts isentirely eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a throat strap connecterwhich is of simple construction, is strong and durable, and is welladapted for the purpose described.

.Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of theimproved throat strap connecter and its parts and combinations as setforth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

throat strap connecter which may In the accompanying drawing in whichthe same reference numerals indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the bridle providedwith the improved connecter;

Fig. 2 is a detail view on a larger scale showing a portion of theconnecter, and also indicating by dotted lines the. position of theconnecter when swung upwardly to per,- mit separation of the throatstrap from the cheek straps; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on line 33 of Fig. lg'and Fig. 4is alongitudinal sectional view of the connecter member and the strapadjustably extending therethrough.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates the head strap towhich the cheek straps 6 are connected by means of the improvedconnecter part 7. Said connecter is in the form of acasting providedwith a loop or cross bar 8 to which the head strap 5 is connected, andalso with a forwardly extending loop 9 to which the strap 10 extendingaroundthe forehead of the animal is connected. The lower portion of thisstrap member is provided with a downwardly extending tongue 11 havingupward- 1y extending recessed portions 11. The tongue portion is adaptedto be enclosed between the inner andouter parts: of the cheek straps 6,and the recessed portions 11 are adapted to accommodate lines of sewing12, so that in sewing the parts together, the tongue Will not tend tocrowd the needle to the side edge portions of the cheek strap. Saidcheek strap is adapted to extend over the cross bar 13 formed intheupper por tion of thetongue 11. Said connecter member 9 is also providedwith a rearwardly extending looped part 14: and the opening forming theloop inthis'part is somewhat 'of egg formation, with the larger diameterat the lower part.

The other or hook connecter member 15 which is adapted toengage the loop14 is formed with an upper reduced end part 16 which extends inwardly atright angles, and is provided with a head 17 of T-formation. Thetransverse length of the head is but slightly longer than the length ofthe opening of the loop, so that when the hook connecter member istilted upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, and the Vthe loop member 14 and securely lock the two members together. The saidhook member is constructed to form a tongueless buckle, and is providedwith transverse portions 18, 19 and 20 around which the throat strap 21is intertwined to adjustably secure the said throatstrap thereto. Saidstrap 21 extends through the opening 20, between the cross bars 20 and19 on the outer side of the bar 19, and then extends upwardly andthrough the opening 15, then around the bar 18, and then the innerportion 21 of the strap 21 extends downwardly through the opening 19between the bars 18 and 19, and then on the outer side of the bar 19between said bar and the strap 21, and then said strap passes inwardlythrough the opening 20. As thus constructed, the said strap will befirmly held in adjusted position.

The lower end of the hook member is formed with an eye 22 to receive aring member 23 to accommodate the check rein 24C. The connectors on bothsides of the bridle are the same, but as it is only necessary to detachone side in putting on or taking of? the bridle, the opposite side isprovided with a split ring 25, which extends through the loop 14, asclearly indicated in Fig. 1, to prevent the disengagement of the hookconnecter from the loop connect-er un less it is absolutely necessary,and to permit this the split ring is removed.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the connectorprovides a very convenientarrangement for connecting and disconnectingthe throat strap to the cheek straps, and that one portion of theconnecter permits adjusting the length of the throat strap without theformation of holes through the throat strap.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bridle, comprising a head strap, a cheek strap, a connecter memberattaching the two straps together and having a loop at its rearward endprovided with an elongated opening, said opening extending ver ticallyand being of larger width at its lower end, a hook connecter memberhaving an thereto when in its lower normal position,

and means on said hook connecter for adjustably attaching a throat strapthereto.

2. A bridle, comprising a head strap, opposite cheek straps, connectermembers attaching the cheek straps to the head strap and having loops attheir rear edges provided with vertically extending elongated openings,hook connecter members having inwardly extending upper portions formedwith transverse heads adapted to be inserted inwardly through theelongated openings when in upper angular position with rela tion to theloops and removably locked thereto when in their lower normal position,and means on said hook connectors for adjustably attaching the oppositeends oi a throat strap theret 3. A bridle, comprising a head strap,opposite cheek straps, connecter members attaching the cheek straps tothe head strap and having loops at their rear edges provided withvertically extending elongated openings, hook connector members havinginwardly extending upper portions formed with transverse heads adaptedto be inserted inwardly through the elongated openings when in upperangular position with relation to the loops and removably locked theretowhen in their lower normal position, one of said connector membershaving a split ring extending through the loop opening to removably lockone of the hook connecter members to its connecter member, and means onsaid hook connectors for adjustably attaching the opposite ends of athroat strap thereto.

4. A throat connecter, comprising a connecter member having a reducedportion adapted to extend through an opening in a cooperating member andhaving a T-shaped head to-cooperate with said opening, strap attachingmeans on said connecter for adjustably holding the throat strap of abridle, an eye on the connector, and a check rein loop carried by saideye.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JAMES M. WALSH.

